Why were certain individuals chosen to be pictured on U.S. paper currency?
As with the U.S. coinage, the Secretary of the Treasury usually selects the designs shown on United States currency. Unless specified by an Act of Congress, the Secretary generally has the final approval. This is done with the advice of Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) officials. In addition, the Commission on Fine Arts reviews all of the designs. The law prohibits portraits of living persons from appearing on Government Securities. Therefore, the portraits on U.S. currency notes are of deceased persons whose places in history the American people know well. The basic face and back designs of all denominations of U.S. paper currency in circulation today were selected in 1928, although they were modified to improve security against counterfeiting starting in 1996. A committee appointed to study such matters made those choices. The only exception is the reverse design of the one-dollar bill. Unfortunately, however, our records do not suggest why certain Presidents and statesmen were
